Recovery Funds Dashboard
Federal pandemic-response packages have provided an unprecedented amount of aid to state and local governments, including $800 billion that can be used flexibly to promote an inclusive recovery. These resources create an unparalleled opportunity for advocates and local decisionmakers to ensure that federal funds reach communities that need them most, close equity gaps exacerbated by the pandemic, and address the root causes of inequities. To take advantage of this opportunity, local leaders need timely data and evidence to ensure funds are used effectively and equitably.
This dashboard aims to track a subset of the federal recovery funds flowing into the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois that can be used for inclusive recovery efforts. The dashboard primarily tracks appropriations, or how much funding the the federal government has committed to provide to local juristictions. For a few select programs, the dashboard also explores spending, or how much of the appropriated federal funding the administering jurisdiction has spent.
The inclusive recovery funds we track represent a subset of COVID-19 assistance provided by the federal government. For more information on how we identified and tracked these funds, see our Frequently Asked Questions.
This project is a collaboration between The Chicago Community Trust and the Urban Institute. It is supported with a grant from the Kresge Foundation through the Shared Prosperity Partnership.
This glossary provides the definition of key terms as used in the Dashboard.
- American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill addressing economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic passed on March 11, 2021.
- ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program included in ARPA (see definition of ARPA above), which directed $350 billion of flexible funds to states, counties, tribal governments and localities.
- Appropriations: the amount of funding committed by
the federal government to the city, county, or state for a given
program.
- Broadband: a means of connecting computers,
tablets, smartphones, and other devices to high-speed internet.
Broadband includes both wireless and wired technologies.
- Community Investment: programs that address a community’s collective needs, and engage the community in developing sustainable solutions toward communal challenges. Programs include infrastructure support, small business and economic support, and education and health services.
- Community Safety: programs which seek to promote public safety, enhance resources for area safety and crime response services, mitigate and prevent crime, and expand interventions for justice-involved young people.
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES): a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill addressing economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic passed on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act included direct cash payments to individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, and business assistance funds.
- Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA): $54.3 billion in supplemental funds for education programs passed on March 19, 2021, including primary school and higher education institutions, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Direct Household Assistance: programs that provide for basic needs, including food, housing, and health services, to promote general welfare. Direct household assistance can include direct cash payments.
- Economic Development: programs promoting economic wellbeing, improved quality of life, and economic growth among people and communities.
- Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA 2): funding to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities.
- Emergency Mortgage Assistance: in Cook County, funds to support households who are behind on mortgage, insurance escrow, and residential real estate tax escrow payments.
- Expiration: the date at which funds are no longer available for expenditure. Expiration dates vary by program.
- General Fiscal Support: flexible funds available for broad Covid-19 economic recovery efforts.
- Homelessness Assistance: programs that support people experiencing homelessness transition into temporary and/or permanent housing, with additional wraparound supports to meet individual needs.
- Homeowners Assistance: programs that support
property owners in maintaining their homeowner status and that help
non-homeowners to pursue ownership.
- Household Investment: programs that provide targeted support for households, such as direct cash assistance and legal services, and expanding awareness of and access to public services.
- Housing: programs addressing a range of needs for renters, homeowners, people experiencing homelessness, including affordability, stability, shelter solutions, and temporary and permanent supportive housing services.
- Infrastructure: programs that support organizational structures and facilities, such as buildings, roads, highways, and bridges.
- Small Business Assistance: programs that support small businesses in maintaining and expanding operations.
- Spending (Percent Spent)/Expenditures: the portion of appropriated funds which have been distributed by the city, county, or state.
- Transportation: programs that support transit systems and the infrastructure which support them, including vehicles, busses, trains, bicycles, and pedestrian walkways.
- Victim Supporting Fund: Services and supports for victims of violent crime and their families, including mental health supports, crisis intervention, support with accessing crime victim compensation, housing, and food.
- Wealth Building: Efforts to give historically disinvested communities more accessible and sustainable pathways to build wealth and grow assets. Examples include programs that promote local and shared ownership of community assets, and pilot investments in shared-equity models, such as housing cooperatives.
- Workforce Development: programs which provide training and education to equip individuals with necessary skills to gain and maintain employment. Programs can focus on workforce recovery, specialized services for justice-involved people re-entering society, and investments that support workforce revitalization in major job centers, such as downtown corridors.
Summary of Federal Recovery Funding Included in Dashboard
Federal Recovery Funding by Jurisdiction and Topic
Chicago
Note: The ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds funding source captures the ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds for Chicago, shown by their planned spending topics and subtopics according to the Chicago Recovery Plan. The state/local discretionary funding topic reflects CARES Coronavirus Relief Fund flexible funding for which more detailed spending is not known.
Cook County
Note: The ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds funding source captures the ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds for Cook County, shown by their planned spending topics and subtopics according to the Cook County ARPA Spending Plan. The state/local discretionary funding topic reflects CARES Coronavirus Relief Fund flexible funding for which more detailed spending is not known.
Illinois
Note: The ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds funding source captures the ARPA Fiscal Recovery Funds for Cook County, shown by their planned spending topics and subtopics according to the Illinois ARPA Spending Plan. The state/local discretionary funding topic reflects CARES Coronavirus Relief Fund flexible funding for which more detailed spending is not known.
Explore Funding by Policy Area:
Community Investment
Funding Summary
By Funding Source
By Subtopic
Explore the specific programs:
Chicago
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
Programs Description
Cook County
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
*Indicates programs for which exact allocation is unknown. Allocation is estimated by dividing topic area allocations published by Cook County by number of programs in topic area.
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Illinois
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
Programs Description
Total
Community Safety
Funding Summary
By Funding Source
By Subtopic
Explore the specific programs:
Chicago
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Cook County
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
*Indicates programs for which exact allocation is unknown. Allocation is estimated by dividing topic area allocations published by Cook County by number of programs in topic area.
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Illinois
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Total
Household Investment
Funding Summary
By Funding Source
By Subtopic
Explore the specific programs:
Chicago
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Cook County
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
*Indicates programs for which exact allocation is unknown. Allocation is estimated by dividing topic area allocations published by Cook County by number of programs in topic area.
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Illinois
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Total
Housing
Funding Summary
By Funding Source
By Subtopic
Explore the specific programs:
Chicago
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
Programs Description
Cook County
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
*Indicates programs for which exact allocation is unknown. Allocation is estimated by dividing topic area allocations published by Cook County by number of programs in topic area.
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
Programs Description
Illinois
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
Programs Description
Total
Workforce Development
Funding Summary
By Funding Source
By Subtopic
Explore the specific programs:
Chicago
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Cook County
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
*Indicates programs for which exact allocation is unknown. Allocation is estimated by dividing topic area allocations published by Cook County by number of programs in topic area.
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Illinois
Programs Chart
All
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
CARES
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."CRRSAA
For specific program details, see Programs Description tab
## [1] "There are no programs with known allocations in this policy area."Programs Description
Total
State/Local Discretionary Funding
Funding Summary
Explore Spending for Selected Programs:
This dashboard features a selection of federally-funded recovery programs for which detailed information on program spending is available. A program not being in this list does not indicate that the program funds haven’t been spent. We intend to add additional programs to this section over time as data becomes available.
Illinois Back to Business Grant Program
Chicago Emergency Rental Assistance Program
FAQ
Who created this dashboard?
This dashboard was created by the Urban Institute in partnership with the Chicago Community Trust. The Trust supplied information on target programs for inclusion, and Urban compiled and cleaned data to produce visualizations, charts, and tables, and developed code for the dashboard itself.
Where does the information in this dashboard come from?
Allocation and expenditure data are compiled from federal agency reports and public spending plans and budget reports from our three geographies of focus: Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois. For each program, the individual data source and source links are listed in the programs table.
What federal recovery dollars are reflected in this dashboard?
This dashboard reflects funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
How did you select which funding programs to include?
Selected programs reflect major federal economic recovery funds flowing directly to states, counties, and localities. For ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), the dashboard does not include the full list of funding allocations across Chicago, Cook County, and Illinois, instead highlighting programs related to the Chicago Community Trust’s priority programmatic topics and subtopics (see more below).
What is the difference between ARPA and ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds?
The Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program is an allocation within ARPA of $350 billion to state, local, and tribal governments across the country. While some ARPA funds can only be used for specific purposes, such as emergency housing, airport infrastructure, or small business assistance, SLFRF are flexible funds that subnational governments can use at their discretion to aid response to and recovery from Covid-19. A full list of applicable uses of SLFRF funds can be found on the U.S. Department of the Treasury website.
How did you select topics and subtopics to categorize funds?
The dashboard categorizes funding allocations across five topics and twenty subtopics reflecting budget categories from local, county, and state recovery plans, as well as the Chicago Community Trust’s priority policy areas and strategies in its work supporting inclusive recovery. The topics may change and may feature additional categories as new information on allocations and expenditures becomes available.
Why is some spending information missing?
Spending information is pulled from public state, county, and local government expenditure reports, including legislative budget reports and mandatory recovery plan performance reports to the U.S. Treasury Department as they become available. Different programs have different reporting requirements and deadlines, and the dashboard will be updated as reports are published. Project and expenditure reports for counties and cities must be submitted 30 days after the end of each quarter, and recovery plan and performance reports are due annually on July 31.1
Missing spending data do not necessarily indicate that dollars have not been spent for a program.
Why are some funding amounts not exact?
The dashboard contains line item programs as listed by local, county, and state governments in public ARPA recovery plan reports. In some cases, these reports list multiple programs under one broad spending category, with one budget number for all programs—for instance, a public safety category may include three separate programs listed under one total budget number for all public safety initiatives, without allocations for each program. The “amount exact?” column indicates where we have split the total program budget evenly across multiple line items to generate an estimated average amount per program, and where we have pulled the exact budget number for one line item program.
How were “selected programs” chosen?
The dashboard features selected programs for which expenditure data is available and captures geographic information related to programmatic spending, such as small business assistance by zip code. This section of the dashboard features a map and demographic information for zip codes receiving program funds, providing baseline information that users could apply towards their own analyses, such as equity assessments for specific programs.
Will the dashboard be updated?
Yes. The dashboard will be updated on a continual basis by the Chicago Community Trust and the Urban Institute as new information on fund allocations and expenditures becomes publicly available.
Glossary
This glossary provides the definition of key terms as used in the Dashboard.
- American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA): a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill addressing economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic passed on March 11, 2021.
- ARPA State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program included in ARPA (see definition of ARPA above), which directed $350 billion of flexible funds to states, counties, tribal governments and localities.
- Appropriations: the amount of funding committed by
the federal government to the city, county, or state for a given
program.
- Broadband: a means of connecting computers,
tablets, smartphones, and other devices to high-speed internet.
Broadband includes both wireless and wired technologies.
- Community Investment: programs that address a community’s collective needs, and engage the community in developing sustainable solutions toward communal challenges. Programs include infrastructure support, small business and economic support, and education and health services.
- Community Safety: programs which seek to promote public safety, enhance resources for area safety and crime response services, mitigate and prevent crime, and expand interventions for justice-involved young people.
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES): a $2.2 trillion economic stimulus bill addressing economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic passed on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act included direct cash payments to individuals, expanded unemployment benefits, and business assistance funds.
- Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA): $54.3 billion in supplemental funds for education programs passed on March 19, 2021, including primary school and higher education institutions, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Direct Household Assistance: programs that provide for basic needs, including food, housing, and health services, to promote general welfare. Direct household assistance can include direct cash payments.
- Economic Development: programs promoting economic wellbeing, improved quality of life, and economic growth among people and communities.
- Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA 2): funding to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities.
- Emergency Mortgage Assistance: in Cook County, funds to support households who are behind on mortgage, insurance escrow, and residential real estate tax escrow payments.
- Expiration: the date at which funds are no longer available for expenditure. Expiration dates vary by program.
- General Fiscal Support: flexible funds available for broad Covid-19 economic recovery efforts.
- Homelessness Assistance: programs that support people experiencing homelessness transition into temporary and/or permanent housing, with additional wraparound supports to meet individual needs.
- Homeowners Assistance: programs that support
property owners in maintaining their homeowner status and that help
non-homeowners to pursue ownership.
- Household Investment: programs that provide targeted support for households, such as direct cash assistance and legal services, and expanding awareness of and access to public services.
- Housing: programs addressing a range of needs for renters, homeowners, people experiencing homelessness, including affordability, stability, shelter solutions, and temporary and permanent supportive housing services.
- Infrastructure: programs that support organizational structures and facilities, such as buildings, roads, highways, and bridges.
- Small Business Assistance: programs that support small businesses in maintaining and expanding operations.
- Spending (Percent Spent)/Expenditures: the portion of appropriated funds which have been distributed by the city, county, or state.
- Transportation: programs that support transit systems and the infrastructure which support them, including vehicles, busses, trains, bicycles, and pedestrian walkways.
- Victim Supporting Fund: Services and supports for victims of violent crime and their families, including mental health supports, crisis intervention, support with accessing crime victim compensation, housing, and food.
- Wealth Building: Efforts to give historically disinvested communities more accessible and sustainable pathways to build wealth and grow assets. Examples include programs that promote local and shared ownership of community assets, and pilot investments in shared-equity models, such as housing cooperatives.
- Workforce Development: programs which provide training and education to equip individuals with necessary skills to gain and maintain employment. Programs can focus on workforce recovery, specialized services for justice-involved people re-entering society, and investments that support workforce revitalization in major job centers, such as downtown corridors.